Gripir
The foresighted king in Gripisspo who receives his nephew Sigurth but hesitates to tell the tragedy through.
Overview
Gripir appears explicitly only in this late prophecy poem. Its opening prose calls him Hjordis’s brother and Eylimi’s son, while Bellows’s note warns that he may be a character made for the prophetic frame. This record therefore does not join him to an existing Eylimi or a wider genealogy: he remains the maternal uncle within Gripisspo, first speaking of glory, then repeatedly trying to stop, yet pressed by Sigurth to speak as far as death.
Key facts
Maternal uncle only within the poem
The opening prose calls Gripir Hjordis’s brother; the same translation’s note considers this uncle possibly the poet’s invention.
Tries repeatedly to stop the prophecy
After stanza 19 Gripir says his sight has run out, but Sigurth demands that he continue.
Relationships
- Hjordisis called Hjordis’s brother
is called Hjordis’s brother
- Sigurdforetells vengeance on Hunding’s sons
foretells vengeance on Hunding’s sons
- Fafnirforetells Fafnir’s and Regin’s deaths
foretells Fafnir’s and Regin’s deaths
- Brynhildforetells a sleeping woman and counsel
foretells a sleeping woman and counsel
- Gunnarforetells the forgetting draught and proxy wooing
foretells the forgetting draught and proxy wooing
- Sigurdis pressed to foretell his death
is pressed to foretell his death
Story appearances
- Gripir’s Prophecy: Asking Fate to Its EndFigure or hoard in Gripisspo
The foresighted king in Gripisspo who receives his nephew Sigurth but hesitates to tell the tragedy through.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Introduction and notes: the poem follows Fra Dautha Sinfjotla in Codex Regius, is a late epitome of Sigurth’s career, and may make Gripir and Geitir poetic inventions.
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Opening prose and stanzas 1–6: Sigurth reaches Gripir’s hall, Geitir announces him, and the two meet.
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Stanzas 7–19: Gripir foretells vengeance on Hunding’s sons, Fafnir and Regin, the hoard, a sleeping woman, and Heimir.
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Stanzas 20–53: Sigurth presses for what remains; Gripir foretells the forgetting draught, wooing for Gunnar, Brynhild’s anger, and death.